Reading Cafe

Watch Super Bowl XLVII San Fransisco 49ers Vs Baltimore Ravens Live Streaming on ESPN

2013-01-24T22:15:00.000+05:30

Australian fans of the Super Bowl will be able to watch the biggest sporting event live streaming from New Orleans as ESPN will bring live coverage of the Super Bowl XLVII on Monday 4th February. The entire broadcast and coverage of the Super Bowl XLVII, San Fransisco 49ers Vs Baltimore Ravens along with the week’s build up to the game will be entirely in brilliant HD. So don't forget to tune in to the ESPN channel to Watch Super Bowl XLVII, San Fransisco 49ers Vs Baltimore Ravens Live Streaming Online and on TV with Foxtel.

ESPN will also bring Aussie sports fans an exclusive behind the scenes look at the overall enormity of the Super Bowl and the week leading up to the event with “Aussies Abroad at the Super Bowl” premiering Friday February 1 at 8.30pm.

Monday February 4 at 9.30am, Aussies Abroad will bring us the “Aussies Abroad: Super Bowl XLVII Pre-Game Show” that will be produced in New Orleans featuring Aussies Abroad’s Jason Bennett, Aussie Philadelphia Eagles punter Matt McBriar and very special guest, Daily and Sunday Telegraph sports editor-at-large Phil “Buzz” Rothfield. Don’t miss any of the action, Fans can find extensive coverage of the Super Bowl only on ESPN...Get all the ESPN Schedule.

This is the 47th edition of the Super Bowl and will be played between the two teams San Fransisco 49ers (NFC) and the Baltimore Ravens (AFC). What's interesting is that both the teams are being coached by the "Harbaugh" brothers. Jim Harbaugh is the coach for the NFC champions whereas John Harbaugh (the older brother) is the coach for the AFC champions. So it's really a "Harbaugh Vs Harbaugh" match.....! Interesting to see who gets to pick up the Lombardi trophy this year.

Their parents Jackie and Jack Harbaugh were interviewed by the press media for their reactions to their sons fighting for the Super Bowl title, to which Jackie insisted she and her husband Jack will be "neutral" when it comes to watching their sons Jim and John coach the 49ers and Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.

"I really would like it to end in a tie. Can the NFL do that?" Jackie Harbaugh asked on a media conference call with Jack and their daughter Joani.

"For me, it's the Lombardi Trophy game," Jack Harbaugh said. "I go back to the beginning, when this great, great classic originated with Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers winning the first two games." Read the full report HERE.

The Kick-Off Time for the Super Bowl XLVII (47) is at 3:30 PM PST / 6:30 PM EST at New Orleans, Merecedes Bens Superdrome, Louisiana. So don't forget to tune in early to catch all the action live as it happens.

Watch San Fransisco 49ers Vs Baltimore Ravens live scores at the following links:

Visit the host New Orleans Super Bowl website at http://www.neworleanssuperbowl.com/ and get details on the venue, stadium, events, tickets, packages and lots more.

The countdown to the Super Bowl XLVII has begun...

Catch all the action at the following Related links:

Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials - SBGC 2013

2013-01-08T10:09:00.001+05:30

The Americans love to watch their favorite game, football (read NFL) when the season starts and follow all the games diligently rooting for their favorite teams all the way till the final championship game, that is the Super Bowl when the NFC champion plays against the AFC champion. Today, the Super Bowl is not only popular for its game but also popular for all the entertainment that it brings along with it, which includes all the pre-game hype, super bowl parties, the halftime show during the game and the commercials or ads that are made specially for the Super Bowl event. Yes, people love to watch these special commercials that are aired during the entire game and the companies that participate in these ad commercials pay a huge price to get a slot during the game.

Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2013 on CBS

BOOMER ESIASON AND AISHA TYLER

Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2013 is an interactive countdown special that will be hosted by Boomer Esiason and Aisha Tylerand will be broadcast live on Wednesday, 30th January (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Here, viewers will be able to vote LIVE on CBS.com via Facebook and Twitter for their favorite Super Bowl commercials.

For most people, watching these commercials is the most entertaining part of the whole Super Bowl experience and therefore the game provides an excellent platform for enormous viewership for these advertising companies. Thus, advertisers are motivated to get their money's worth by rolling out the most creative and innovative ads to woo their audience. "This one-hour special, now in its 13th year, will originate from Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, home of “Super Bowl XLVII.”

"Viewers once again will get to vote for their favorite Super Bowl commercial of all time. Beginning today, the top 12 vote-getters from the past decade of “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials” will go head-to-head on www.cbs.com/superbowl, where fans will be able to vote via Facebook and Twitter to determine the top three Super Bowl commercials of all time. Those three top Super Bowl commercials will advance to the live vote during the broadcast, where viewers will decide the outcome and the winner will be revealed at the end of the show."

Some of the leading brands taking part in this years Super Bowl commercials are Budweiser, Careerbuilder.com, FedEx, Victoria's Secret, Doritos, Pepsi Max, Bridgestone, Coke and Bud Light among many others.

So, which brand among these will create the top Super Bowl ad of the year? "Although we still don’t know who will buy the last handful of 30-second spots, which CBS Sports is selling for a record $4 million this year, Brian Steinberg, the TV Editor for Ad Age, has already put together a list of “Who’s Buying What in Super Bowl 2013,” which names 21 advertisers that have announced plans to run commercials during the big game." Read More

Super Bowl 2013 Ads: Trends, newcomers and record sales!

Let's take a look at the you tube videos of the top eight brands that may be the most creative ad for the year 2013 according to the Viral Video Chart..

Volkswagen : “The Force: Volkswagen Commercial”
Anheuser-Busch InBev: “9/11 Bud Commercial - AIRED ONLY ONCE”
PepsiCo's Frito-Lay : “Doritos® - Express Checkout -- Crash the Super Bowl 2013 Finalist.”
Mars Inc.’s M&M’s : “M&M ‘Sexy and I Know It’ Super Bowl Commercial 2012”
Coca-Cola : “Coca-Cola Polar Bears Film 2013 produced by Ridley Scott”
Best Buy :
Audi of America (Volkswagen) : “Audi 2012 Game Day Commercial - Vampire Party”
PepsiCo Beverages : “Love Hurts”

Watch Video of The Force: Volkswagen Commercial

Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show Live on CBS

2013-01-05T16:44:00.000+05:30

This year, the soft drink giant company Pepsi is sponsoring the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which will be telecast live by CBS and NFL. Singer Beyonce has managed to land the deal for this year's Super Bowl Halftime show and will be performing solo in New Orleans. This was apparently a $50 million deal.

According to latest news reports, on game day, Feb. 3, CBSSports.com will include the first live stream of the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show featuring Beyoncé, as well as immediate access to the Super Bowl commercials as they are broadcast on CBS.

"Beyonce Knowles is the Pepsi NFL Super Bowl Half Time Performer - she’s finally confirmed the news via her official Tumblr. Pepsi is returning as the sponsor for the halftime show since doing so in 2007 when Prince performed."

Beyonce to Perform at Super Bowl Halftime Show 2013

"It was revealed in October that the 16-time Grammy winner would take the stage at the world's biggest concert gig after an image was posted of her wearing eye black with "Feb 3" and "2013" written on it."

For the first time ever, this year, Pepsi is crowd-sourcing photos from the fans on its website to be introduced by Beyonce during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. And just two days after its announcement, Pepsi has received more than thousands of photos.

"Beginning December 29, fans have been able to submit images of themselves in pre-determined poses for a chance to appear in an on-air introduction for performer Beyonce."

For fans to participate they must visit www.pepsi.com/halftime to find the daily pose and then submit a similar photo of themselves in those various poses that include shouting, head bopping, feet tapping, and hip shaking. A participant can enter upto 50 photos a day, as per the rules. Photo submissions for #PepsiHalftime will end on January 21st. For official rules and information, fans can visit http://halftime.pepsi.com/

Photos will be used by the company for their commercial ads, and some may even be eligible to win a grand prize by January 11th. Read more about this story Here.

Previous Super Bowl Halftime performers have included singers like The Black Eyed Peas, The Who, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Prince, U2, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.In 2004, Janet Jackson had a wardrobe malfunction during her performance!

Watch Super Bowl XLVII 2013 Online Live Action Free on Your Mobile

2013-01-05T15:49:00.001+05:30

The Super Bowl (47) XLVII 2013 is to be shown live streaming online officially and legally by CBS, NBC and NFL.com along with the Verizon Wireless NFL Mobile app for the mobile phones. The final championship game is to be held at the Mercedez-Benz Superdrome in New Orleans, Luisiana on Sunday, 3rd February 2013. Kickoff time for the Super Bowl is at 6:30 PM ET. It promises to be the biggest and best event of the year with maybe the most online viewership. So don't forget to tune in early so that you don't miss any of the action.

Tune in to NFL Mobile to take all the heart-pumping action of the game highlights, Game-day play, and Live Audio only on NFL Mobile from Verizon. Get in on the action from NFL Network, Thursday, Sunday, Monday Night Football. NFL Red Zone, Fantasy Tracker and much more...
There are three ways to get NFL Mobile: Click on Verizon Wireless NFL Mobile app to register and

enter your Verizon Mobile Number, OR
Call **NFL (**635) OR
Find it at your favourite market (itunes / Android)

NFL Mobile will give you 24/7 access to everything the NFL Network dishes out, Latest news, highlights or stats. To get NFL Mobile you need to have 4G on your smart phone.

Those of you who don't have Verizon and would like to have all the action on your fingertips, maybe it's the right time to go in for one now.

The regular season is over now and the playoffs are on. AFC take on the NFC champions this month in the wild card round, Divisional and the Conference championships from January 5th. The Pro-Bowl Championship will be held on 27th January at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

Watch NFL Football Games Live Online on NFL Network - Super Bowl XLVII (47) 2013

2013-01-05T15:19:00.000+05:30

This year the NFL games promise to be bigger and better than ever before with many more options for the viewers and fans to watch all the games live and catch all the action as it happens on the field. You can choose to watch NFL live online on your computer, mobile phones or listen to the audio on the go. Wherever you are, you can keep yourself updated on the latest scores, team updates, game fixtures and other news regarding your favourite team.

This year the Super Bowl XLVII (47) is being hosted by the city of New Orleans for the 10th time at the Louisiana Superdome on 3rd February 2013. Get ready to catch all the action live by subscribing for the season pass so that you don't miss out a single game through this season of NFL.

Watch NFL Playoffs Games LIVE Online! on NFL Network with the NFL Game Pass HD:

When you want to watch NFL games online you need a NFL Game Pass and get a subscription. For those of you who are die hard fans and don't want to miss any action go for the Season Plus Subscription and Watch LIVE 2012 Regular Season and Playoff games including Super Bowl XLVII. Plus get 24/7 NFL Network live, NFL RedZone and any 2009-2012 game archive through the entire Offseason. Watch every game live online and get NFL Network 24x7, all in stunning HD quality video. There are many options available to you, that also includes a Season Pass that gives you unlimited access to all regular season games and NFL Network 24X7.

With NFL Game Pass you will be able to Watch every 2012 Preseason and Regular Season NFL game, LIVE or on-demand, online and in high-definition. Access through 31 Jul 2013. Other benefits are having the HD DVR, access to NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, chat and much more.

With the NFL Game Pass subscription you will also be able to watch all the live games on your mobile devices like the iPad, iPhone, IPod Touch and select Android devices. Access NFL Game Pass on your Android and iOS mobile and tablet devices with a free download of the NFL Game Pass mobile app. Get the Schedule to NFL Network programmes and the remaining playoff games to watch this weekend.

*****(NFL Game Pass is only available to users located outside the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, Antigua, the Bahamas, and any U.S. territories, possessions and commonwealths).

Watch NFL Total Access Videos Online: NFL Total Access features up-to-the-minute news, interviews with players, coaches and other key league personnel.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access

Get NFL Live on Audio (Radio) with Serius Satellite Radio for all those real NFL Fans..Catch all the action Live. You can get a FREE trial too. http://www.sirius.com/nfl

Aloha, Honolulu! The NFL is back in Hawaii for the 2013 Pro Bowl. The annual contest of the AFC and NFC's best will take place Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 at Aloha Stadium.

And last but not the least is the Sunday Night Football Extra: Watch all the Sunday Night Football Live Online at 8:00PM ET.

Watch the NFL Super Bowl XLVII (47) Live Online on Sunday 3rd Feb, 2013 that is going to be held at New Orleans.

Where to watch Super Bowl XLVII 2013 on Sunday 3rd February Live?

Watch Super Bowl XLVII (47) Live Streaming Online

2013-01-03T13:53:00.000+05:30

The Super Bowl XLVII, 47th edition of the National Football League (NFL) Championship game will be held on Sunday, 3rd February 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kick-off time for the game is at 6:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM PST. Watch San Fransisco 49ers Vs Baltimore Ravens Live streaming online on NFL and CBS.

This year, once again NFL events will be shown live streaming on multiple platforms along with official broadcast partner CBS on 3rd Feb 2013. Therefore, fans will be able to watch the super bowl live on both CBSSports.com and NFL.com. NBC will live-stream the Wild Card Saturday doubleheader on Jan. 5 and the Pro Bowl on Jan. 27. All four games will also be available on NFL Mobile from Verizon. The Super Bowl game will be telecast live by CBS and will be simulcast in Canada by CTV.

For the first time CTV in Canada will be telecasting the entire NFL playoffs including the Super Bowl XLVII live streaming. Get the broadcast schedule for the upcoming Divisional playoffs to be played on January 12th and 13th.

CBS network has decided to strengthen this year's Super Bowl online coverage with several new features and add-ons. Thus, CBSSports will now cover the live stream of the Pepsi Halftime Show featuring Beyonce, for the first time, and in addition will also provide immediate access to the Super Bowl commercials as they are broadcast on CBS.

“We have developed a deeply integrated second-screen environment that perfectly complements the television broadcast,” said Jim Lanzone, president of CBS Interactive.

In this manner, the network will provide a “second-screen” experience that will include additional camera angles to allow viewers to watch the game from various perspectives, as well as view live stats and in-game highlights. So that a person can view additional camera angles by keeping a laptop with the live stream beside the TV screen for a better experience.

Super Bowl 2013 Game Day Update:(22 Jan 2013)

The Super Bowl XLVII 2013 will be played between San Fransisco 49ers Vs Baltimore Ravens. Yes, it's the 49ers and the Ravens who will be heading to New Orleans this year to play in the grand finale match for the Lombardi 6 at the Mercedes Benz Superdrome in Louisiana. So don't forget to tune in early to catch all the pre-game analysis, entertainment and the Super Bowl ads that will be aired all during the game. Also catch the hosts for the evening, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms on CBS live online. Those of you who haven't still managed to get a ticket to the Super Bowl event, grab one soon at the link provided below.

Super Bowl 2013 : - Live Streaming Online: Sunday 3rd February at New Orleans, Mercedez Benz Superdrome, Luisiana. Kickoff Time: 6:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM PST.

NFL.com OR NFL on Location
CBSSports.com
CTV in Canada
Espn.go.com (Foxtel)
NFL Mobile from Verizon
NBC.com (Watch Pro-Bowl Live Streaming) Januray 27th.

Watch Super Bowl XLVII Live with NFL Game Pass

The Super Bowl and other NFL playoffs can be watched live online with the NFL Game Pass Subscription. Now, fans in UK can also enjoy access to approximately 100 games live online with the NFL Game Pass. Get more details about the NFL Game Pass Subscriptions at Watch NFL Football Games Live Online on NFL Network

Broadcasting Partners for NFL in UK

There are various broadcasting partners for the NFL in the UK, which include Sky Sports, Channel 4, NFL Game Pass (as mentioned above) and BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra. You will need a subscription for Sky Sports and NFL Game Pass to be able to watch the game live streaming.

Buy 2013 Super Bowl XLVII Tickets

You can still buy tickets to the Super bowl events at Stubhub. You can buy tickets for the Super Bowl package, including lodging and also get VIP perks. Sunday, February 03, 2013, 5:00 p.m. CST at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA.

See Super Bowl Packages

Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII (47) Halftime Show

On October 16th 2012, it was reported by the Associated Press that the global musical icon and 16 time Grammy award winner, Beyonce will perform in the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show. Thrilled at being the chosen one, “Beyonce shared a photo of herself with "Feb. 3" and "2013" written on her cheeks in war paint. She captioned the image, "Countdown to Touchdown!"

According to a recent news report, on game day, Sunday 3 Feb.2013, CBSSports.com will include the first live stream of the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show featuring Beyoncé, as well as immediate access to the Super Bowl commercials as they are broadcast on CBS.

Super Bowl Commercials 2013

The commercial ads that are featured while the game is on, gets huge eyeballs and so are very highly priced. Apparently, this year, CBS plans on charging a record high of $ 4,000,000 for each 30-second advertisement. You can catch all the Ad Blitz for this year 2013 on official you tube channel for the super bowl. And what’s more, you can also get many interesting party recipes from here too.

Super Bowl XLVII Commercials 2013

Super Bowl XLVII Ads - Hulu Launches 2013 Toyota Adzone:

Hulu has launched the 2013 Adzone for Super Bowl XLVII ads, which will be sponsored by Toyota. Hulu Toyota Adzone 2013 will highlight all of Super Bowl advertising, which will debut again this year at the Super Bowl XLVII.

Visit the NFL SHOP for official Super Bowl XLVII merchandise!

Don't forget to tune in to watch the Wildcard and Divisional Playoffs starting this weekend 5th January 2013...to see who will play in the final Super Bowl Championship game of AFC Vs NFC. The annual contest of the AFC and NFC's best will take place Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 at Aloha Stadium for the Pro Bowl.

Related links:

Watch Super Bowl XLVII 2013 Live Streaming on NFL and CBS

Watch Super Bowl (47) XLVII Live Streaming Online on NFL and CBS

Watch Super Bowl XLVII (47) 2013 Live Streaming Online on Facebook.

Seasons Greetings And Happy Holidays to All

2012-12-22T09:43:00.000+05:30

Well, what do you know? It's December 2012, the year ending already, with Christmas eve just round the corner. It's truly amazing how time just flies by. So let me begin by wishing all my readers season's greetings and happy holidays in the next week. As the year ends, we get the perfect opportunity to spend time with our family and friends to spread cheer and joy. And yes, don't forget the gifts for all your near and dear ones!!

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays 2012

The year 2012, for me, started on a good note with promises for good things to come, and has ended fulfilling that promise. I feel very positive at the end of the year and am sure that the year 2013 will be much better. I should have many aspects of my life sorted out in the coming year, which will help in making me stronger - emotionally, mentally and physically.

Reading Cafe will continue to be my main blog in the year to come and I hope to be able to post articles or blogs on a more regular basis. Unfortunately, I was unable to maintain my blog in the last year, due to several personal reasons. It will be my endeavor to bring my blog back up to the level of readership that it had enjoyed earlier.

Like I said, I am happy that the year 2012 is ending on a positive note for me, as my story of weight loss is going to be mentioned in an upcoming issue of Prevention Magazine (India Today Group), which is quite an achievement for me, as the freelance writer who took my interview for the story came to me after reading my blogs here on Reading Cafe.

And the icing on the cake is the fact that I am going to attend a family function next week where I am going to meet all my family members together after a gap of many years. Can there be any better way than this to end a year?

So here's wishing all of you a "Merry Christmas", "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy Holidays"!!

Be back in 2013....!!

Gangnam Style - Most Watched Video Ever on YouTube

2012-11-26T10:36:00.000+05:30

The Korean pop star PSY's "Gangnam Style" has become a viral hit video on You Tube and is now officially the "Most Watched" video ever on You Tube. The video has now crossed the 820 million views, which is approximately 9.8 million more than Justin Bieber's 2010 Hit song "Baby". The tune of this song is insanely catchy, making it no wonder that the song has hit a chord with the masses..young and old alike. The Gangnam Style video has managed to achieve this very impressive feat in a matter of just a few months as it was uploaded only on 15th July 2012 and went viral instantly. This video is projected to hit the 1 billion view mark by 16th December 2012 according to ChannelMeter.

PSY Gangnam Style

Apparently PSY hinted in an interview earlier this year that there may be a collaboration between him and Justin Bieber in the near future, as they do share the same manager after all. So one can hope for some more hit viral videos in the future. In case you are one of those who didn't get time to listen or watch this video, you can do so right here:

Watch Video - PSY - GANGNAM STYLE (original video):

Recorded as the Second Most Watched Video - Justin Bieber's Hit Video "Baby" - Watch Video

Third Most Watched Video: Jennifer Lopez - "On The Floor" - Watch Video

Facebook Arrests Sparks Protests and Spreads Fear

2012-11-24T10:55:00.000+05:30

The death of Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thakre on Sunday, 18th of November 2012 was an event that was handled with extreme care and precautions by the authorities of Mumbai, namely the police, politicians and the Thakre family to ensure that peace and order remained in the city. His death happened at a very delicate time when the country and the city was busy with the festivities of Diwali and Bhai-duj etc. Not to mention, that November is the month that everyone remembers for the 26/11 attacks. So keeping the law and order was a huge task for the police of Mumbai during this time.

Here, I would like to quote Bhavin Jankharia who wrote this in a column for the Mumbai Mirror today, "Our leaders, the police and the ruling bodies did a phenomenon job over the last weekend with virtually complete control over the situation....something that must be commended giving the rarity of such an occurrence....all of which was then instantly ruined by the arrest of the Palghar girls, an act so completely ridiculous that it belies any attempt at rational thinking."

Reenu Srinivasan and Shaheen Dhada arrested in Palghar

Yes, the same day that Bal Thakre died and the whole city came to a standstill due to a complete bandh, two girls from Palghar, Reenu Srinivasan and Shaheen Dhada were arrested for posting a seemingly innocuous comment that questioned the need for the bandh and her friend simply "liked" the comment. In just a few hours of posting the comment, the police knocked on her door with an arrest warrant. The girls were subsequently taken to the police station and charged with offenses under section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 A of the Information Technology Act (ITA). Apparently her comments "hurt" the sentiments of religious communities.

The police apparently acted with great speed in response to a complaint filed by the Shiv Sena activists. Later, when they were questioned for their actions, they admitted that they did what they did out of fear for what would happen if they did not act upon the wishes of the Shiv Sainiks who probably had threatened them with much more dire consequences to follow if they did not act immediately. The girls too were scared out of their wits as soon as they were arrested as they immediately had to post an apology on their Facebook status and soon went on to deactivate their accounts. The arrest of the girls by the police was not only wrong from the "law" point of view but also wrong as they trampled on the right to free speech of the two girls.

This arrest has sparked a huge controversy in the land of the social media, including twitter, which was flooded with messages from all over the country as people questioned the move and the arrest. The girls, after apologizing, said that they were "scared" for their own lives. It should be noted that the Shiv Sainiks had reportedly vandalized an Orthopedic Clinic that belonged to the uncle of the girl who was arrested. So, we can understand where the "fear" is coming from. But to learn that the police too were acting out of "fear" of the Shiv Sainiks sends a different message altogether. "Fear is more contagious than dengue." Quoting Ajit Ranade from the Mumbai Mirror today, "Remember August 11 riots at Azad Maidan? There too the police restrained themselves, "fearing" much worse religious riots if they had enforced the law vigorously. In both Palghar and Azad Maidan, the police acted contrary to conventional wisdom on law enforcement, out of "fear" of a worse consequence, if they had simply upheld the law."

This whole debacle brings forth the question of whether we should be living in fear and letting this "fear" rule our lives.....and much worse still....rule the "law"?

Should I be afraid to write this blog? To wonder if I may get arrested for simply putting forth my views on the subject? Don't I, as the citizen of India, have the right to question the actions of our leaders or politicians?

Ajmal Kasab Hanged to Death In Extreme Secrecy by Indian Government

2012-11-22T19:15:00.001+05:30

In the early morning hours of 21st November 2012, Wednesday (7:30 am) the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, Ajmal Kasab was hanged to death in the Yerwada Jail of Pune. The whole operation (Codenamed 'X') was extremely hush-hush as nobody came to know of the execution till it was all over.

The recently appointed President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, soon after taking office, wasted no time in rejecting the mercy petition that had been filed by Kasab. He has also similarly rejected 12 other petitions that were lying pending of other terrorists that are languishing in Indian prisons. The hanging of Kasab brought a sense of relief and some sort of closure to the people and victims of the 26/11 attacks.

Read the whole story of how this whole operation was carried out and why the Indian government chose to keep it all hush-hush. The Pakistan government has been informed about the execution and given the chance to claim the body.

Asked for his last wish, the 25-year-old terrorist from Faridkot village in Pakistan's Punjab province said: "Gharwalon ko milna hai (I want to meet my family members)." He was told the Islamabad government had been informed about his hanging but had failed to respond. As his hands and legs were tied, his last words, according to officials who witnessed the hanging, were: "Allah kasam maaf karna. Aisi galati dobara nahi hogi...(Allah, please forgive me, this mistake won't happen again)."

How Kasab came to be hanged as most of India slept is as dramatic a tale as the unfortunate cycle of terror he and his nine other terrorists unleashed across Mumbai landmarks on November 26, 2008. Read More.

Related articles:

"Maha" Grief - Balasaheb Thakre No More

2012-11-20T12:13:00.001+05:30

The state of Maharashtra was deep in grief mourning the death of their iconic leader of the Shiv Sena for the past 45 years, Balasaheb Thakre. He suffered from natural ailments and passed away on Saturday afternoon, soon after the festivities of Diwali and Bhai-duj.

There was a state-wide bandh as a result of his death on saturday and sunday. All the streets were deserted and all shops and businesses shut down due to the bandh. This included all the wholesalers and retailers as well, leaving people to wait for two days before they could get any groceries or vegetables. The people of Mumbai who wished to pay their last respects to their great leader were given the chance to do so on sunday before the body was taken in a procession to Shivaji Park for the final cremation ceremony before all the fans and followers who waited there patiently the whole day. The park was filled to the brim as the people crowded in to see their leader for the last time.


Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thakre

Shivaji Park apparently was a fitting place for the final cremation ceremony for Balasaheb Thakre as this is where he had addressed a crowd of people, giving a moving and impacting speech for the first time when he was young. All the people who remembered him and his speech were overwhelmed emotionally by this last tribute to the great leader and could not help but shed tears.

All the great big-wigs and important people, politicians and Bollywood stars came to pay their last respects to Balasaheb Thakre. The entire police squad of Mumbai were busy with the bandobast of his last rites and to make sure that the city maintained peace and quiet during the weekend. Earlier, there had been rumors of his death on the day of Diwali, but the news channels reported otherwise saying that though his condition was critical, he was stabilized.

Lately, two young women from Palghar were arrested for simply posting a comment on Facebook regarding the bandh on Saturday. (Read More)

The 21-year-old who posted, "Respect is earned, not given and definitely not forced. Today Mumbai shuts down due to fear and not due to respect", says she "will never post on Facebook again." She also says, in a low voice, a blue and green dupatta pulled tight across her face, that, "I would like to apologise. He (Bal Thackeray) was a great man."

The other girl was arrested for merely "liking" the status.

The prompt action of the police for arresting these girls due to pressure from the Shiv Sainiks received a lot of furore from the public and social networking sites like Twitter, where people posted their ire.

The action of the police questions our basic democratic rights and freedom of expression. And a basic question remains unanswered - Why were any of the Sainiks who vandalized the orthopaedic clinic that belonged to the young woman's uncle, not arrested?

Updated news today states that nine people were arrested today morning for the vandalism and an inquiry will be held led by a senior cop into the arrests of the young women. Sources say there is consternation in the police headquarters in Mumbai over the action of the Palghar police. "We have ordered an inquiry... if any further action needs to be taken the probe team will decide and send a report. On this report we will act," Deven Bharti, IG (Law and Order), Maharashtra Police said.

The Shiv Sena leader's death on Saturday afternoon had brought Mumbai to a virtual standstill on Sunday, with shops and other establishments shutting and taxis going off the roads, amid fears of violence by Mr Thackeray's supporters. There was, however, no untoward incident in Mumbai over the weekend.

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray(86), who died on Saturday, was cremated with full state honors in Mumbai on Sunday.

Thackeray whose climb to fame was due to his championing the cause of the marginalised 'Marathi manoos' saw a sea of humanity coming to his funeral from not just all parts of the state but also from the country.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bal-thackeray-passes-away-shivaji-park-public-funeral/1/229707.html

Super Sunday - Watch Live - Cricket, Grand Prix, NFL Football, Soccer EPL and El Clasico

2012-10-07T09:55:00.000+05:30

It's a Super Sunday today with lots of sporting action for all sports fans and enthusiasts.

Cricket World Cup T20 Finals Live : For those who love cricket, don't forget to tune in to Star Cricket or ESPN to watch the World Cup T20 Finals of Sri Lanka Vs West Indies Live at 6:45 PM IST or 13:30 GMT. Watch Live online Free at http://www.espnstar.com/live/.

Sri Lanka take on West Indies in Colombo with both the teams looking to win the title for the first time. Chris Gayle is a force to reckon with, who helped to annihilate the Australian team in the semi finals.

Formula One Grand Prix: The sporting action continues with the Formula One (Japan GP) Grand Prix that can be followed Live on Star Sports at 11:45 AM. You can also follow it live online free at ESPN site: http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/f1/liveracecentre/

Defending champ Sebastian Vettel leads Red Bull's first front-row lock-out of the year with Mark Webber, Leader Fernando Alonso starts sixth. Fernando Alonso has a 29 point advantage over Sebastian in the driver standings.

La Liga (Spanish League Football) El Clasico: Soccer die hard fans have their favorite Spanish League match El Clasico to watch Barcelona Vs Real Madrid in the final clash for the title this year. You will be able watch the Match Live Online Free at 23:20 PM on ESPN and CCTV 5, ESPN Hong Kong at this link: http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/476801/barcelona-vs-real-madrid/

Defeat for defending champions Real Madrid in the El Clasico at Nou Camp will stretch Barcelona's lead over their bitter rivals to 11 points. Indian fans can watch Live on Star Sports at 11:15 PM.

Watch English Premier League (EPL): Manchester United Vs New Castle Live today on Star Sports at 8:00 PM or Watch Live Online Free On ESPN3 at http://www.livesoccertv.com/channels/espn-3/

NFL Sunday Night Football: For NFL football Fans: don't forget to tune in to all the NFL Sunday matches live online at NFL network or the Sunday Night Football. Get all the details of the matches scheduled today at this link: http://www.priyakanwar.com/2012/10/watch-live-online-nfl-sunday-night.html

Watch Live Online - NFL Sunday Night Football (SNF) Regular Season Games

2012-10-05T09:50:00.000+05:30

The 2012 NFL Regular season games are well under way going into the 6th week. Watch Live Online - NFL Sunday Night Football (SNF) Regular Season Games on NFL network and NBC sports on SNF all access. Get ready for this sunday's match up on 14th October 2012: Green Bay Packers Vs Houston Texans brought to you live The match starts at 8:20 PM ET. (Watch Live). (Game Centre)

For all the NFL Sunday Night Football (SNF) fans out there, get the entire schedule for all the upcoming matches up until the last week of this year December 23rd at : NFL Sunday Night Football Schedules.

You can also watch all the NFL games live online including the Sunday night football on NFL Network with the Game Pass. There are two packages you can choose from to watch the games live online. With the Season Plus package you can watch LIVE 2012 Regular Season and Playoff games including Super Bowl XLVII. Plus get 24/7 NFL Network live, NFL RedZone and any 2009-2012 game archive through the entire Offseason. (Access through 31 Jul 2013). Whereas with a season pass you will get to Watch LIVE 2012 Regular Season games, 24/7 NFL Network and NFL RedZone LIVE, and all 2009-2012 games. (Access through 4 Jan 2013). You can also choose monthly or weekly offers to watch individual games, in case you do not want to follow "all" the games.

You can also now watch all the NFL games live on your mobile phones/ Tablets with the Android apps. Access NFL Game Pass on your Android and iOS mobile and tablet devices with a free download of the NFL Game Pass mobile app. All you need to do is just download the FREE NFL Game Pass mobile app for your smartphone / Tablet from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Watch Live Streams of all the NFL games with Live Stats and Live Scores of NFL Network and NFL RedZone.

You can also get the entire NFL network coverage of all Thursday night, Sunday Night and Monday night football games with Verizon Mobiles Wireless with NFL Mobile.

Get ready to watch the NFL games live online. This week's games are as follows:

09/10	Texans	v.	Jets	‎-6:00 AM (IST)‎-Tickets

12/10	Steelers	v.	Titans	‎-5:50 AM (IST)‎-Tickets

14/10	Cowboys	v.	Ravens	‎-10:30 PM (IST)‎-Tickets

14/10	Bengals	v.	Browns	‎-10:30 PM (IST)‎-Tickets

14/10	Lions	v.	Eagles	‎-10:30 PM (IST)‎-Tickets

14/10	Colts	v.	Jets	‎-10:30 PM (IST)‎-Tickets

14/10	Chiefs	v.	Buccaneers	‎-10:30 PM (IST)‎-Tickets

14/10	Rams	v.	Dolphins	‎-10:30 PM (IST)‎-Tickets

14/10	Raiders	v.	Falcons	‎-10:30 PM (IST)‎-Tickets

15/10	Bills	v.	Cardinals	‎-1:35 AM (IST)‎-Tickets

15/10	Patriots	v.	Seahawks	‎-1:35 AM (IST)‎-Tickets

15/10	Vikings	v.	Redskins	‎-1:55 AM (IST)‎-Tickets

15/10	Giants	v.	49ers	‎-1:55 AM (IST)‎-Tickets

15/10	Packers	v.	Texans	‎-5:50 AM (IST)‎-Tickets

16/10	Broncos	v.	Chargers	‎-6:00 AM (IST)‎-Tickets

Watch ICC World Cup T20 2012 Semi Final / Finals Live Online

2012-10-03T11:48:00.000+05:30

The 2012 ICC World Cup T20 is being held at Sri Lanka, which started on the 18th September and will last till 7th October. ESPNStar.com brings you live action from the field. You can watch all the Semi Final matches of the ICC World Cup T20 live online free.

Yesterday, India played against South Africa in a do-or-die match for a chance to enter the semi finals. They did manage to beat South Africa and win the match with just one run, which was unfortunately not sufficient to overcome the net run rate that was required to beat Pakistan to enter the semi finals. Earlier in the day, Pakistan had managed to beat Australia with 32 runs to qualify for the semi finals, if India did not meet the criteria, which it did not! So India is out of the World Cup!

Well, the four teams that qualified for the semifinals are Sri Lanka, West Indies, Pakistan and Australia. The Semi Finals of the ICC World Cup T20 2012 Matches will begin on the 4th October, the schedule for the matches will be as follows:

1st Semi Final at 4th October (Watch Live)

Sri Lanka Vs Pakistan (Colombo) starts 19:00 Local Time or 13:30 GMT

2nd Semi Finals on 5th October (Watch Live)

Australia Vs West Indies (Colombo) starts 19:00 Local Time or 13:30 GMT

Finals on 7th October (Watch Live)

TBA

ESPNstar.com brings you all the cricket matches live streaming online for free. Get the latest overview, statistics, fixtures and Video on demand at the link provided above. Don't miss all the action that's going to happen.

J.K. Rowling's New Novel - "The Casual Vacancy" is Fastest Selling Best Seller of the Year

2012-10-03T11:10:00.002+05:30

J K Rowling's latest book "The Casual Vacancy" has swept the charts again to become the fastest selling hardback novel since 2009. After her successful "Harry Potter" series that was written for children, she has now attempted an "adult" fiction. The book is now out for sales and people are giving mixed reviews, although the book is fast selling out of the shelves, even though it's just the first week since the release of her first fiction novel in the adult category.

In the story, the girl "Sukhvinder Jawanda" is dyslexic student who is being bullied by this character called Fats and starts having suicidal thoughts. The Casual Vacancy has hit a raw cord with the Sikh Community in India as the story revolves around a sikh girl "Sukhvinder Jawanda" who is a rowing champion but has been described as "the Great Hermaphrodite" by a classmate ironically named Fats. The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has sought removal of all "objectionable" text in the book along with an apology from the author, J K Rowling. The Chief of the SGPC described Rowling's words in the book as " a slur on the Sikh Community and Provocative" by calling into question the gender of the girl.

This book has already achieved the status of being the number one best selling hardback fiction book of the year since Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol', which sold more than 550,000 in its first week of sale in 2009.

If you are a die-hard fan of J.K Rowling and would like to buy the book to add to your collection, you can BUY the book in hardcover from the amazon stores at a reasonable price of just $20 and it will be shipped to you in 24 hrs.

Product Description:

When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

The Casual Vacancy By J.K. Rowling

Watch Video London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony - Team India

2012-07-28T11:52:00.004+05:30

This is the first time that the Indian squad is participating in the Olympic games with full preparation and it is the biggest contingent to represent the country at the games so far. This year a total of 81 athletes are taking part in various sporting events for a chance to win medals and bring glory back home. The team was supported by the government of India and other private sponsors for proper training and sporting facilities of world class standard to compete with the other world class athletes. So this year India has high hopes of bringing back many more medals than it has done so far in the history of it's Olympic sports. There are many women also taking part in various sporting events, the hopes for medals being on archery, badminton, athletic events, boxing, wrestling and shooting etc.

The Indian squad was seen in the march past proudly bearing the Indian flag. Sushil Kumar, the wrestler who won the bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics was given the honor as the flag bearer of the Indian team. Watch the you tube video of team India at the march past of the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics 2012, as they proudly wave to the crowds and the Chief of the IOA present in the stadium.

London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony - Team India - Watch Video

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Watch Video Opening Ceremony - London 2012 Olympic Games

2012-07-28T10:49:00.013+05:30

London 2012 Olympics Opening ceremony was a spectacular grand event directed by Danny Boyle. It was a show that had never been done before. It started off with a "bang"....by ringing of the largest harmonically tuned bell. It showcased the entire culture and essence and history of the city of London with a ride down the river Thames. The music, literature, stories and famous characters came to life right there in the stadium.

Danny managed to bring the meadows to the stadium, complete with the people and animals that included sheeps, horses et al..It was a story telling that captivated the audience like in the movies from the beginning to the end in a truly grand spectacular fashion. You can watch the entire opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics on you tube video.

The main highlights of the entire show were the sequence showcasing the industrial revolution, lighting of the Olympic rings, entry of James Bond and the Queen of England declaring the games open.

The Intro Sequence of the Opening Ceremony at the London Olympics 2012

"The Isles of Wonder" directed by Danny Boyle is inspired by William Shakespeare's "The Tempest". It takes you on a journey across the famous landmarks of London showing you the people, culture, music, sports and history as the introductory sequence to the grand opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. Travel down the river Thames on this epic journey to reach the Olympic stadium where the 30th edition of the games are to begin their saga. The ceremony begins by striking of the huge bell that is the first of its kind and harmonically tuned.

The Queen Sequence - Opening Ceremony - London 2012 Olympic Games

Daniel Craig as James Bond goes to fetch Queen Elizabeth at her residence in Buckingham Palace and escorts her in a waiting helicopter, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh to make a grand entry to the waiting crowds at the Olympic stadium in the true James Bond style....by jumping off the helicopter alongwith the Queen..!!! Did she really jump??

Rowan Atkinson Sequence - Opening Ceremony London 2012 Olympics

Rowan Atkinson, popularly known as Mr. Bean made his entry in the London symphony orchestra of Chariots of fire directed by Simon Raphael as a tribute to the British Film Industry...in the true "Bean" style. His comic antics are a pleasure to watch as he plays his part in the symphony. Humor at it's best...!

Torch Montage including David Beckham - Opening Ceremony

The video showcases a torch montage featuring the Olympic torch from 1948 in Wembley to its present journey to London. It is carried by a number of people and celebrities, sports people all across the city and finally makes a grand entry on the river Thames in a boat accompanied by David Beckham, against the backdrop of the London Bridge to hand the torch to Sir Steve Redgrave (five time Olympic Gold winner) who makes the grand entry into the stadium of the London Olympics.

Olympic Cauldron is lit at the Olympic Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Games

The Olympic torch is carried by Sir Steve Redgrave, five time Olympic gold winner who hands it over to the young team to carry it all the way to the grand cauldron to light the petals, which rise high up in the air to make a huge torch, in a truly spectacular display.

The games are declared open by the Queen of England....! Let the games begin!

Watch London Olympics Opening Ceremony 2012 Live Streaming Online

2012-07-27T12:42:00.005+05:30

The London Olympics 2012 will begin today 27th July with a grand opening ceremony that kicks off at 9:00 PM London Time (4 PM ET) and will be broadcast live on NBC at 7:30 PM ET. The whole show will be no more than three hours and is being directed by none other than the Oscar winning British film director Danny Boyle along with acclaimed director Stephen Daldry. The opening ceremony has been named the "Isle of Wonder" as inspired by William Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Watch London Olympics 2012 from July 27th - 12th August Live on You Tube (The Official Olympic Channel by the IOC). Watch Live: Opening Ceremony on 28 July 1:20 (IST). Live streaming of the London 2012 Olympic Games will begin in 64 territories on July 27th 2012.

London 2012 Olympic Games The Official Book

The grand ceremony will be flagged off with the sound of the world's largest harmonically tuned bell.You can watch every event of the London Games streamed LIVE on NBCOlympics.com. However, NBC is available only to citizens in the US. One can also watch the events of the London Olympics Live on BBC iPlayer if you are in the UK. BBC TV will provide the most comprehensive coverage of an Olympic games in broadcasting history, with up to 2,500 hours of live coverage.

London 2012: How to watch the Olympics on BBC TV

BBC Sport will broadcast all 2,500 hours of competitive action at London 2012 via its new live interactive video player. It gives viewers access to up to 24 live HD streams and complete control of what you want to watch, when you want to watch it. Read More...

London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony

London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony:

The grand opening ceremony of the London Olympics 2012 is expected to blow your mind and be much more spectacular than the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.It is promising itself to be the biggest spectacle that has ever been seen so far.

London will showcase 70 sheep, 12 horses, 10 chickens and nine geese....in contrast to the pounding drummers and a cauldron lighter of the Beijing Olympics.

One will get to witness the British pop culture, music, literature, a dash of James Bond in the middle along with the Beatles Paul McCartney. Danny Boyle's Isles of Wonder will also showcase the green and pleasant land of meadows, farms, cottages, village cricket matches and bird song, as well as dwell on Britain's darker industrial past.

"I would have thought the difficulty is how you cram in all that is great about our country," British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday. "Whether it is sport, art, literature, history, contribution to world events, there are so many things to celebrate about our country that packing all that in to these hours must be a pretty tough task. But I am confident they have done a good job."

The Queen of England has a role to play in the opening ceremony. Her entry will be a key part of the show, but the details are being kept under wraps, so you have to just wait and watch. All in all there will be 18,000 performers in the show and around 10,000 volunteers inside the Olympic stadium. With Danny Boyle at the helm of affairs, it is but a given that AR Rahman will also have a role to play. The Indian music maestro has composed a track for the inaugural ceremony and it celebrates the Indian influence in UK culture. It is a Punjabi track and will be part of a medley in the Olympics Opening ceremony.

Among other stars, Muhammad Ali, David Beckham and Haile Gebrselassie will also be a part of the star parade. One will also get to witness some of the literary stars come to life, like Harry Potter, Alice, Captain Hook, Oliver twist and James Bond and last but not the least, a 40-foot Voldemort....who scares them all away!

London Olympics 2012 Sound Bytes: Inside the 2012 London Olympic Games

This year marks the 30th edition of the Olympic Games, with a total of 204 countries participating in the games.
This year also boasts of the highest number (4,847) of women athletes that have ever taken part in any Olympics so far, and nearly every country has women participating in its teams.
There are 81 athletes from the Indian Contingent that include 23 women.
There are a total of 10,000 participating athletes in all.
The cost of the games is 9.3bn pounds - most expensive so far.
The smallest delegation will be from Nauru with only 1 athlete, who is a weightlifter.
The most obvious legacy for London is Olympic Park, with the 80,000-capacity stadium that will host the opening ceremony and other new venues. It is built on formerly derelict, polluted industrial land in the east of the city that bore the brunt of bombing in World War II and, for centuries, concentrated London's stinkiest industries and its poor.

The Olympics' 50 Craziest Stories

An A-Z of the History of the Olympics: A Guide for London 2012

The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games (Illinois History of Sports)

Social Media For Business - The Engagement Blues

2012-06-30T11:46:00.002+05:30

Many businesses are quite confused about social media. Most are reluctant to use it for reasons best known to them, some are treating it like a website i.e. they open their fan page or profiles on various networks and that’s it. Still others are treating it like a one way broadcast to those who care to listen; they are not really engaging with the followers.

From a customer point of view the first two categories are acceptable; they are as good as not being there. It is the third category the customers have expectations from and perhaps the one which lets them down.

Social media provides for a two way communication and that is what users of the social media expect from the other users/businesses. If one continues to use it for marketing his products, services or himself without paying any attention to what others have to say, you can rest assured that soon you won’t have anyone listening to you either.

Conversation is an art and not everyone can handle it well. Therefore it is important that the person responsible for social media is not only good at producing engaging content but also be able to continue the conversation when someone responds. For this the person should understand the business lest you want him to run to the concerned department every time there is a comment.

Every business owner will tell you that Customer is the King, but somehow on the social media the kings are reduced to just another number. That is the surest way to loose a customer. If your purpose of getting on to the social media is to attract new audiences and retain the existing ones you must follow the basic rules of engagement.

When a customer likes your page or starts following you, consider it as a customer walking into your showroom or shop. Welcome him with open arms and thank him for following or liking you.

When a person comments on an update or your blog post, think about it as a direct dialogue with your business. If it is a question, answer his concern by providing the requisite information. If it is a compliment thank him, if it is a statement think of it like a feedback and thank him. If it is a complaint, try to resolve it or guide him to the requisite department. Understand that the person has taken the time and effort to comment on your page/wall and it needs to be acknowledged, to say the least.

Doing this much will at least not put off the person and will probably encourage him to come back or continue following you. Conversely, if you do not respond, the person ends up thinking that he is not important enough for you and we all know what his next step would be.

Respect your followers/fans and do not let your ego take over. Unless it is spam, which can be deleted straightaway, it does not matter whether the person has not understood your update, the language is incorrect, or he does not seem as an important lead. You have to respond. That, is the beginning of engagement.

Download the free eBook “Understanding Social Media”

Download the free eBook "Business Blogs - The Best Social Media Tool For Businesses"

Social Media – The Target Audience

2012-06-30T11:43:00.001+05:30

A few days back, I saw a job vacancy for a social media executive on one of the portals. The job responsibility read something like this: Weekly increase of followers: FB 150 fans, Twitter 150 followers, LinkedIn – 150 followers….. Sounded like a shopping list of a big hotel.

It is amazing how the business even thought of such ludicrous objectives. Getting followers or fans is not a difficult thing to do, but whatever happened to the concept of inbound marketing. I don’t know what the business is selling, but unless it is a global business selling the elixir of youth, getting followers in this manner is going to be an absolute waste of time and effort, never mind the clutter they are going to create on the business’s walls or streams. With fans or followers acquired in this manner, your Facebook wall is going to become just that, a wall.

The social media manager’s quick fix to such objectives presented itself to me on the website of a major league (?) social media company. The company had integrated their Twitter feed on the home page of the website and the last couple of tweets were about requesting (pleading?) their followers to like the Facebook business page of a particular client.

Agreed, that in the longer run, the whole world is a market and everyone a customer, but then be prepared to wait an eternity for the impact of social media on your business. What use is a follower or fan acquired in this manner? The business does not gain anything from them. They are not interested in your products, they are not listening to what you have to say and they may not even be in your country/city of operation. What they are is just a number in your list.

This brings us to an important facet of social media, a targeted audience. That is what differentiates the social media from the traditional communications. On social media, people follow businesses because they are interested in some part of the business, be it products, processes, services or technology. These are the people one can engage in a two way communication, to understand them, their needs and to inform or educate. These are also the people who will contribute to enhancing your business by sharing and spreading the word about your business, by taking part in the discussions and by being your loyal customers.

It is important for businesses to realize that just numbers are not going to get them anywhere. The old age adage, “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush” holds good with the difference that on social media a single genuine fan is worth hundreds, if not more, of indifferent followers.

The social media strategy of a company needs to define what their target audience is. Thereafter one can effectively go about reaching out to them rather than mindlessly getting followers as if they were going out of stock.

If you have some thoughts about this, for or against, I would be glad if you could share them with me.

Download the free eBook “Understanding Social Media”

Why Businesses Need Social Media Strategy

2012-06-30T11:40:00.002+05:30

Most businesses and companies do not have a clear strategic picture of their social media endeavors or campaigns. They make the mistake of building their strategy around the various social media platforms rather than focusing on their own business objectives and goals. Developing a good social media strategy right at the beginning will go a long way for any business in terms of ROI and bringing value to it. The questions that need to be answered are: how much are you willing to invest or can invest in the social media activities (both in terms of money as well as time) and how does that relate to the business value? How best does the social media strategy align with your business and other marketing strategies?

Social Media Strategy

Its very important to get the answers to these questions and understand the objectives and goals of the business or company before starting off any social media activity like opening a Facebook or a Twitter account without any concrete plans or strategy in place to measure success or understand what you want to achieve from it.

Having a social media strategy in place is the need of the hour for any business today, helping to build a foundation towards better handling of the social media platforms in the right manner to suit the individual business and its values, and also helps to achieve the unique objectives and ensure maximum ROI.

In order to create a comprehensive and successful social media strategy, the business should first establish who their demographic audience is that they are trying to reach and to identify a clear way to measure the success. Understand the objectives of the social media strategy and be prepared for a long term commitment, as it takes consistent effort and time to get results from online campaigns.

Think clearly what your business wants to use social media for - brand awareness, drive more leads, drive sales, promote products, improve customer relations or customer services. All these can be achieved by careful planning, expertise and experience.

The different social media have their own unique and specific tools or metrics that can be used to measure the results or level of interaction that takes place on that platform. For example, the number of "likes" on Facebook, or number of followers on Twitter or percentage of females versus males in your community can be tracked over time to measure your progress and the impact of your social media campaign on your bottom line.

Social Media Platforms

The different social media platforms should be analyzed and conversations tracked so that you can identify business relevant topics as well as potential crises and issues. The end result should put your brand in a position to establish who your audience are, where they are online and define your objectives to maximize engagement with them.

In order to find and identify the most relevant platform to your business, monitor the different sites to see where your brand name is being mentioned, where your competitors are, use specific keywords to identify and understand what your target audience is using and which will offer you the greatest opportunities for your business. The sites can include anything from Facebook to blogs or forums. So be prepared to go anywhere.

Once a business has identified and chosen the relevant platforms to further its social media activities, it will have to then define how to manage engagement with the customers on the different channels. Each platform will require different content or means and ways to engage the customer in an effective manner. Therefore, a careful strategy needs to be developed around content creation in all sites or platforms along with its frequency of posting. The content should be the voice of the business, should reflect brand values and guidelines, which takes time, effort and resources but is crucial to build an active and engaged community.

A continuous open communication between the business and its customers has become very vital for any business today. Therefore plan, engage, listen and manage any negative comments/feedback or criticism in a timely and effective manner so as to maintain your credibility and reputation online. Social media provides many tools to accurately track and monitor the performance of your business online. Therefore, its wise to use these findings to optimize the program and ensure that your social media activity is performing as effectively as it possibly can. This not only leads to social media success but is also vital in contributing to the overall objectives of your business.

Download the free eBook “Understanding Social Media”

What is Social Media?

2012-06-30T11:33:00.002+05:30

All web based applications which allow for creation / exchange of user generated content and enable interaction between the users can be classified as Social Media. These could be in the form of Social Networking Sites, Blogs, Internet forums, online community sites, Q & A sites etc.

The social media has some inherent properties which make it much more powerful than the traditional media.

Accessibility: The social media is easily accessible and takes minimal or no costs to use. Social media is easy to use and does not require any special skills, knowledge to use. It is absolutely simple to connect with others and be a part of communities. Therefore anyone with online access can use the Social Media to initiate or participate in the conversations. In a sense, everyone is now empowered to speak up.

Speed: The content that you create on the Social Media is available to everyone in your network/forum/community as soon as you publish it. You can communicate with your audience without any external factor affecting the delivery of your message. The responses are also near instantaneous and thus you can have a dialogue which is almost in real-time.

Interactivity: Social media affords a two way or multiple communication channels. Users can interact with each other; ask questions, discuss products / services, share opinions and anything else they might be interested in doing.

Longevity / volatility – Social media content remains accessible for a long time, maybe forever, because of the nature of the medium. In addition to this the content can be edited / updated anytime. So, if a user likes a particular product and says so in the social media, it is not a permanent positive vote for the product; the user can always go back and change his opinion anytime.

Reach: The internet offers an unlimited reach to all content available. Anyone can access it from anywhere and anyone can reach, potentially, everyone. Social media offers the same facility to all the users who can share anything with anyone they like.

Social media has opened up new avenues for people to engage with each other and with the content available on the internet. The social interaction of the yore, severely restricted by various boundaries, has now been taken online, opening up a world of new possibilities.

People are using the social media to stay connected with friends/family, find people with similar interests, discuss issues with others, share opinions, asking and answering questions, reading user reviews etc. We can surmise that, in addition to staying connected, the users want to acquire/enhance knowledge and gain insights into specific subjects to help them make better decisions. It is this consideration that makes social media an enticing opportunity for businesses, celebrities, politicians etc. Opportunities to help them gauge consumer sentiments, acquire new customers/fans, interact with the customers, enhance their brand and manage their online reputation.

Download the free eBook “Understanding Social Media”

"Satyamev Jayate" - Dil Pe Lagi Ya Nahi

2012-05-06T14:45:00.000+05:30

I just watched the much advertised and anticipated show in the history of Indian TV, "Satyamev Jayate" hosted by Aamir Khan on StarPlus. After seeing the promos and knowing that it was Aamir Khan who was going to host the show, I must say that I was confident we would finally have a show that would indeed be hard hitting with the truth - "Dil Pe Lagegi, Tabhi Baat Banegi"!

The show made its debut today at 11:00 am and I was ready in time to watch the first episode that was on the topic of "Female Foeticide". This topic has always been close to my heart and in spite of being from the medical field, I must admit that this show proved to be a complete eye-opener for me. I was truly shocked and appalled by the stories narrated by the women on the show, and also by the facts and figures that showed the spread and severity of the problem that our country faces today. What shocked me the most was that apparently it was the government that paved the way, in the 70's, to kill the female fetus as measures to curb the population of India.

"In this episode, Aamir talks about the killing of unborn girls or female foeticide. An alarming reality, it involves the collusion of families, some unscrupulous doctors and a social structure that encourages the desire for a boy child – at any cost. The result has been the death of over 3 crore unborn girls since independence and a generation of young men, many amongst whom will find it very tough to get a life partner."

The show was put together in a very heartwarming and an appealing manner that touched every chord and Aamir Khan managed to show just the right kind of emotions with his personal touch that I can say this for sure, Aamirji "Dil Pe Jaroor Lagi" aur Zor se Lagi. (It did hit hard)!

There are many positive tweets flooding twitter after the show was aired. It is quite obvious that Aamir Khan is very passionate about all the issues that concern our nation, and I consider him to be a true patriot. This is a show that promises to bring out the truth in a manner that will not only open our eyes to the problems or issues that demand our attention but also give you hope, and encourage you to find a solution to bring about a change so that we can have a better future. So that the country can have a better future and also garner the respect that is so essential from the global world. A hard hitting program is definitely the need of the hour and I am sure that if any person can bring about a change in perceptions or attitudes, a revolutionary way of thinking, then that man is none other than Aamir Khan. The movie "Rang de Basanti" had managed to strike a patriotic chord in the hearts of all the youth to prod them awake from their slumber and realize that they could make a difference. It forced the youth to think in a revolutionary manner, that they could indeed be the next "Bhagat Singh" or "Chandrashekhar Azad".

By airing the show "Satyamev Jayate" on a Sunday at 11:00 am, Aamir Khan has made sure that many more people will be sure to tune in to the program, including the late risers. And after watching this first episode, I am sure that the subsequent episodes will be watched in great anticipation and expectations. Because, deep in our hearts we all want a change; we want to make a difference; we want a safer and securer environment to live in; and we want a shining India that we can be truly proud of.

The show brought out the bitter and shocking truth about female foeticide in India and what I liked best was the fact that the show also gave one hope and encouragement and an opportunity to one and all to make a difference to save the girl child and protect the male-female sex ratio. How can we help? This is what you can do -

At the end of the show, Aamir Khan has asked a question:

"Snehalaya is a charitable organization that works to eradicate female foeticide, and provides shelter for abandoned children. Their ‘Cradle In Every Village’ campaign aims to wipe out the practice, by encouraging the adoption of girls. You can help the organization further by writing them a cheque, and depositing it at your nearest Axis Bank branch. You can also transfer your money to Snehalaya online at their website (www.snehalaya.org). For every rupee you donate, the Reliance Foundation, the philanthropy partner of Satyamev Jayate will donate the same amount."

So this is your golden opportunity to make a change, to make a difference and bring about the change that we desire. SAVE THE GIRL CHILD. Say NO to sex determination tests and accept a child as a God's gift - Girl or Boy. Raise your voice against female foeticide today.

Satyamev Jayate - The Truth Shall Prevail.

Health, Fitness and Weight loss in Women

2012-04-23T11:48:00.001+05:30

Health, fitness and weight loss is the new mantra for women of all age groups in this new era of a world obsessed with a good body and good looks that they are willing to go to any lengths to feel "good" about themselves. Of course, in a way, it is also a very healthy trend to shift towards a healthy way of living life, provided one is realistic about their own fitness levels. Well, to come to the point, I am one of those women who have been constantly battling with my weight, health issues and fitness levels since the time I got married and converted to a sedentary way of life as a housewife.

If you have been following my blogs judiciously, you will be able to appreciate the struggles and the obstacles that I have had to face in this battle of the bulge. In the previous blog, I wrote about how I had successfully managed to lose 10 Kgs without any help from external weight loss programs or tablets/pills etc. Well, I would like to update the readers that since then I have managed to lose another 5 Kgs entirely on my own and am also maintaining my weight steadily so that I do not start gaining weight again.

I managed to do all this by just a few adjustments to my diet and fitness regimes. That is, I started exercising at home with the help of the latest interactive Fitness Training Programs available for the gaming consoles like PS3, namely EA Sports Active 2, which became my personal fitness trainer. I started drinking herbal tea every day in the morning and evenings and went for a walk in the evenings. In addition, I started having lots of fruits, specially for dinner, instead of a regular meal. My meal would consist of a bowl of mixed fruits, mostly apples/papaya/watermelons or other melons. I also tried to incorporate fruit juices like a glass of orange juice or sweetlime juice in the mornings. Other than that, my afternoon meal consisted of pretty much anything that I liked to eat. Of course, it goes without saying that one has to keep away from sweets and desserts completely.

Well, I have to admit that the battle of the bulge is a constant one and one cannot get complacent at any point of time. It is a struggle that one has to undergo to avoid temptations and stay on the course of health at all times consciously. I do give in to my temptations a little, now and then, but the only difference now is that I am maintaining a constant watch on my weight. Yes, I judiciously step on the scale every morning to check my weight, so that I am then mentally prepared to either forgo all temptations or pledge to exercise harder during the day or eat lesser. It is a great motivator, I can assure you.

I have to also admit, rather guiltily, that for the past 6-7 months I haven't been able to continue with my exercise regime and had instead resorted to just walks in the mornings and evenings. As a result, I haven't been able to lose more weight, but have managed to maintain my weight where it was. Women, like me, always have a lot of external pressures like family and holidays that come in the way of trying to maintain a routine for self. Women mostly tend to sacrifice their personal time and routine to place others needs ahead of hers, thinking that they could always get back to theirs anytime later. Hmm..I know that sounds like a pathetic excuse, maybe, but it's a fact that we need to acknowledge and address, if we can help it.

I got a wake up call recently from my rather long slumber, in the form of an interview by a freelance journalist. She had apparently gone through my weight loss articles and decided that I was a good candidate to write about. Her call gave me the much needed stimulus to start afresh with my weight loss goals and I decided to get back to my fitness training exercises again, with a goal to lose at least 5 Kgs more to come down to 65 Kgs. I am now at 70.5, having lost a total of 15 Kgs so far.

I will provide the link to the article as and when it gets published, which is the May-June issue. So do keep a lookout.

That's all I have for now. Will keep you updated with more blogs on this issue. In the meantime, you may want to read my earlier related articles:

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2012-03-29T12:41:00.002+05:30

Dear Readers,

A lot of rapid changes in the internet and networking world has forced online writers and bloggers like myself to take a step back and reflect upon the changes. The Panda update in the beginning of the year 2011 caused a serious setback to the writers who were solely depended upon the Google adsense for their earnings via content sharing sites. I was affected too and due to several changes that took place as a result in the rules and regulations of the posting policies of these content sharing sites, I decided to stop writing for a while to watch how things would unfold.

My personal life too went through a lot of rough patches and nothing seemed to be going right in the year 2011. I started the year on a bad note with health issues, followed by family issues and to top it all my husband was forced to quit his job as the company that he was working for couldn't afford to pay his salary anymore. It took him six months and thousands of job applications before he got another good offer.

The world too had a bad start in the year 2011 with the Japan earthquakes and Tsunami that devastated and destroyed thousands of families and homes. The year followed through with many more natural disasters and a supermoon to top it all. We lost the most romantic legend of Bollywood "Dev Anand" just before the year ended. All in all it was a "tragic" year as far as I am concerned. It was probably the worst year of my life. Everything came to a standstill, including my writing and my earnings from Adsense.

But the year 2012 dawned with a new promise of hope, faith and good tidings. I have decided to continue with my blogs. So do keep visiting for fresh updates of what's happening around the globe.

The social networking scenario is changing rapidly, not to say that I am very comfortable with all the changes. The way people are communicating with each other today has changed drastically from what it used to be when we were teenagers. Being a bit old-fashioned, I must say that things are a wee bit too fast paced and "intrusive" than what it was in our time. There seems to be less and less of privacy these days, in fact people seem to not mind airing their views or thoughts or a glimpse into their private lives online, in the form of minute-by-minute status updates and personal pictures. Everybody seems to know what everybody else is upto...the latest form of gossip (firsthand).

Also it is a little disturbing to see the effects that a social networking site has on the behavior patterns of individuals. This would definitely make an interesting topic for research for a student of sociology. It goes without saying that social networking is affecting the psyche of individuals in more ways than one, which can prove to be disastrous or good depending on the way it is being used. Most people seem to be getting addicted to it and are becoming voyeurs. But, in the end...where will this social networking take us all as a society and what effects it will have upon our civilization and culture, I guess only time can tell. But somebody somewhere needs to give this a serious thought, most definitely.

Looking forward to a happening year ahead and lots of good things to come....

Reading Cafe

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